LATEST HOMILY
6th SUNDAY of EASTER
May 25, 2025

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Focus: Christ’s peace disrupts the peace of the world.

Function: Embrace the peace of Christ which is far richer than the peace of the world.

Resilient Women

My favorite set of Bahamian paintings, comes from the Eddie Minnis family collection. some of us may know these classical Bahamian pieces of art, pieces such as Fry Day painted by Roshanne Minnis Eyma.  The picture shows a middle-aged woman cleaning fish at the dock to sell to market. The woman has a gentle yet laborious look about her. Hot and a bit sweaty with an old T-shirt on, and scarf to cover her hair from the heat of the sun.  Though working hard and for a few dollars, or maybe a simple meal, she smiles enjoying her life for what it is.  

The second artwork is a painting called Miss Lerlene painted by Nicole Minnis. This painting tells the story of woman sitting on the front door threshold of her home. She takes a break in the middle of the day. Her straw hat in her hand.  And she looks out into the distance, with her hands on her knees, stoned face and her cheeks rigged with lines and wrinkles marking her hard labor over the years.  She is in deep in thought, and begs the viewer to ask the question.  What is she thinking? What is she expecting?  What is she hoping for? 

Thirdly, another famous painting by Nicole Minnis under the themed Young Mother.  And it is by far, my favorite out of the three. Here is young mother most likely to be in her early 20’s with her three children surrounding her.  One in her arms, one standing next to her weaving strings together, and one in her womb. And the woman like Ms. Lerlene, though young, has aged and the vocation and gift of having children is challenging yet she smiles.  She holds her toddler close to breast and she smiles down on her little girl learning to make something beautiful out of random pieces of string.  One can see that they do not have much. But their expression and posture show they do not care for much. They are content.   

If you have seen these three pieces of art work by the Minnis family, if you can relate to the descriptions of these paintings, they bring out the beauty of the Bahamian people, who rose out of slavery and made a name and country, for their own.  But most importantly, it captures an eye for contentment and peace. The Minnis Family, in their paintings make poverty look peaceful. On the other hand, it is not that the artists want to make poverty look peaceful. They want to show that peace is possible to attain in the midst of a suffering world. And the peace that is displayed in these beautiful pieces of art portrays, the peace Christ gives to his Apostles and now to us. 

My Peace, I Give to You!

Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. When we think of the peace of Christ, we think of sitting in Church and listing to the quiet. Getting away from the noise and business of the world. We want to immediately separate from the noise and dram in our lives and, just sit in God’s presence for a few minutes. And not be bothered. Just me and Jesus and guess what, that’s fine.  But here’s the problem; the noise of the world is not, going anywhere, the drama of work and family isn’t going anywhere. Especially family drama. So, if we come to Mass just to escape the pains and suffering of life and try to find that peace, it is like drinking water after eating a goat pepper.  It is only going to get worse. So how do we receive this peace that Jesus is talking about? Remember that when Jesus gives peace it is not a peace that equips us to escapes the suffering of our lives.  If Jesus did that it would contradict His mission of suffering and death of taking up our crosses and following Him daily. What peace does Jesus give. The peace Jesus gives is a sword of division and it does not want to give the peace the world gives.  As a matter of fact, the peace of Christ, disrupts the worlds peace.  The peace of Christ longs to destroy the peace of the world. Christs peace is a sword that will not rest until it servers the last thread. And why is that? Because the world’s peace is not peace. It is relativism and indifference, egotism and selfishness, laziness, and entitlement! The peace of Christ is there to destroy the world’s peace.  When we get comfortable and try to find our peace, in this world, Jesus rips it up and gives us reality check!  If we think our peace is our home, our spouses, our children, our parents, our money, our job, remember that God can take them away. All these things are on loan friends. And every one of them have a time limit. Jesus is the source of peace AND HE IS PEACE! And we will continue to find means to run away from suffering until we get that! We do not run away from suffering, nor do we care to embrace it! But we face it head on with Jesus! We embrace it with Jesus! Go ahead friends! Go ahead! Even if life is just a big ball of crap! Move forward in hope, move forward in contentment!

It is Contentment & Joy Not Happiness!

Smile at the woes of this life like the poor, sweaty lady cleaning that fish for the market to sell!  Though you cry for relief from the burdens of life, look forward into the distance with perseverance and prosperity like Ms. Lerlene sitting at the threshold of her door.  Face life with contentment and joy like the Young Mother with her three children. We may not have it all!  But we don’t need to have it all! French Carthusian Monk Dom Guillerand once said:  [Jesus] is the principal source within us. That is why faith is such a sure source of happiness, even now! The faithful who keep themselves in a state of grace, or who see that they return to it without delay whenever necessary posses in their souls God who is infinite Goodness. And it is his presence that keep them in Peace. And so, for those who accept the peace of Christ, has Christ within them and He and the Father make their home in the heart that accepts God’s Peace! For though they suffer and do not have the world’s amenities,  they are resting in God’s contentment and joy, and abide in the riches the world cannot give! 

Amen!